Vidya Balan: I always wanted to play Indira Gandhi

Vidya Balan turns producer with the adaptation of Sagarika Ghose’s book on the late politician.

In July 2014, National Awardwinning actress Vidya Balan had admitted to Mirror that she had as many as six biopics on her platter but hadn’t signed any of them. The list included Leena Yadav’s Tragedy Queen aka Meena Kumari, Soham Shah’s film on Kiran Bedi, and a debutant director’s ambitious project on singer and Padma Bhushan awardee, Begum Akhtar.

Meanwhile, actor-filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan admitted that the actress was his first choice to play India’s first lady doctor Rakmabai, while Malayalam filmmaker Kamal wanted her to step into the shoes of poetess Kamala Das and Rajiv Menon had plans for a film on the renowned Carnatic vocalist, Bharat Ratna Subbulakshmi. At the time, Vidya had said, “As humbling as it is to be offered biopics, I am not sure if I want to be known as an actor with a monopoly on the genre.”

Now, we’ve learnt that the actress has finally decided to feature in a true-life story and it’s none of the above. Vidya has purchased the rights to journalist-author Sagarika Ghose’s bare-knuckle biography of Indira Gandhi, titled Indira – India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister, and will be turning producer with its screen adaptation in which she will also play the titular role. The book was recently pitched to filmmakers and writers at the Word to Screen Market 2017 at the Mumbai Film Festival.

“I am happy to have acquired the rights to Sagarika’s Ghose’s book because I have always wanted to play Indira Gandhi. I haven’t decided the details of the project yet. It will take a long time anyway,” Vidya told Mirror, while Sagarika added, “I am sure Vidya will be bravura on screen as Indira.”

The book explores the triggers behind the 1975 Emergency, Gandhi’s failed marriage, a turbulent relationship with her younger son Sanjay, and her numerous political battles.

In the recent past, actress Supriya Vinod has played Gandhi in Jabbar Patel’s 2014 film, Yashwantrao Chavan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar’s controversial politicaldrama Indu Sarkar that released last year.